Integrated markov state-space framework for reliability evaluation, failure analysis, and maintenance strategies for high-tension power transmission lines

Overhead transmission lines and high-tension wires represent the critical infrastructure of the world’s electrical power systems. These systems facilitate the bulk transfer of electrical power over vast distances. A significant percentage of the world’s existing power transmission infrastructure has reached an age where it has become increasingly vulnerable to environmental degradation, corrosion, mechanical stress, and thermal effects. These effects may cause critical component failure in power systems, resulting in economic losses. These components include the main transmission line, conductor strands, insulator discs, and insulator strings. The current paper proposes a sophisticated probabilistic mathematical model through Markov state-space modeling that allows for assessment of the efficiency, risk, reliability, and economic feasibility of transmission line systems. Moreover, the paper introduces economic break-even points that define the exact relationships in the form of linear inverse functions between the expected profit and the costs of maintenance in terms of repair, maintenance, and outage cost penalties in comparison with the basic revenues. Therefore, the current paper links the field of reliability engineering with that of economics in relation to the power grid system operation. The numerical results presented in this study are based on hypothetical parameters for demonstrative purposes. The model is analyzed using the regenerative point technique, assuming exponentially distributed failure and repair times, to derive various reliability measures.